There was a time not so long ago when the up-and-coming Thunder were measuring their improvement against the Lakers.

Now, it’s the Western Conference champion Thunder that are the measuring stick and the Lakers who want to see where they stand after a run of better play. The two face off Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.

It’s been well documented that after Lakers started the season an unimpressive 17-25 they have started to turn it around and gone 13-5 since. The thing is, it’s not that the Lakers are dramatically better in their last 18 overall — their point differential per 100 possessions +2.5, less than one point per 100 better than it was when they were eight games below .500.

What has changed is they got healthy, and with their key guys got to play together for a stretch modified Mike D’Antoni system, and with all that they started to find there identity. It’s taken a lot of Kobe Bryant — sometimes as scorer, sometimes as facilitator. It’s taken Steve Nash to work a lot off the ball. It’s taken Dwight Howard defending and playing more pick-and-roll. It’s been the role players finding their way.

It’s been the Lakers finally forming an identity like was expected of them in training camp (but injuries and a coaching change to a radically different system delayed that cohesion). Now that they have a sense of self the Lakers are winning the close ones they lost earlier in the season. Such as the 99-98 win over the Hawks on Sunday. John Schuhmann has all the numbers to back this up over at NBA.com — the Lakers with an identity are playing much better in the clutch than they did. They are now a .500 team.

But the Thunder are a whole new level of challenge. They are the measuring stick. They are still the favorites to make the finals out of the West, they have the best scorer in the game in Kevin Durant.

What are the keys for Tuesday night? They all revolve around the Lakers defense, because the Lakers will score some (that Kobe Bryant guy is pretty good) but the question is can they slow the Thunder at all:

1) The Lakers transition defense. Among all their many weaknesses this season, this has been the biggest — if you can run on the Lakers you can beat them. Los Angeles allows teams to shoot 58.1 percent in transition and score 1.16 points per possession, 23rd in the NBA. In the first meeting between these teams this year the Thunder shot 9-of-11 in transition and 3-of-3 from three. If this is an up-tempo game it will not be a close one.

2) Lakers pick-and-roll defense against Westbrook. It’s been improved in recent weeks but in the first meeting the Lakers struggled to stop Russell Westbrook (33 points) on this play. Westbrook has 60 points combined in the first two meetings this season. If Westbrook in particular, but also Kevin Durant and others, are allowed to probe and create off the pick-and-roll the Lakers defense will get picked apart and they will struggle.

On the other hand, when Westbrook went cold — 6-of-22 in the last meeting of these teams — the Lakers got the win. I say went cold because Westbrook completed just 3-of-8 shots inside the restricted area and I’m not sure the Lakers should count on that again. But the Lakers also turned him into a jump shooter and he struggled in that role — Dwight Howard is key here taking away the paint from Westbrook on drives.

3) Can Los Angeles slow Kevin Durant. I know, everyone writes they want to do this and he’s the league’s three-time leading scoring champ for a reason. He dropped 42 on them in a game this season. However, in the last meeting the Lakers had some success with Earl Clark — Durant was 3-of-11 with Clark on him. I’m not sure I’d want to bet on that trend continuing, but you can bet the Lakers go back to that well and if Clark can even just slow Durant and make him work for his baskets it will help.

The Lakers had an impressive win over the Thunder a few weeks ago, but it will be much different this time around, especially on the road. I agree with your points, and I think that it will be very important to get Dwight Howard going in this game. If Dwight is able to get some baskets early, the Lakers will be able to control the pace a little bit better.

This is a big game for the Lakers but I don’t think you can call it a measuring stick game when Pau gasol is not playing. It’s hard to judge your team when you have an all star sitting on the bench who will be back in two weeks.

its still a measuring stick game because theyre gonna be without pau for the rest of the regular season and if they make the playoffs, its gonna be without him. hes not coming back in 2 weeks. even if he somehow does, hes gonna be rusty and brought back slowly. lakers need backup center minutes and pau would exclusively be used for those.

this is not a make or break game. as long as lakers take care of the ball, get back on transition D, and challenge jumpshots, game should be good. lakers can lose and still be in good shape to make the playoffs due to their favorable sched.

I know we can’t expect to have pau at 100% this year but have you been watching the games recently? Backup center is the biggest issue for the Lakers right now. When dwight howard goes to the bench the lack of size has made it easy for opponents to attack the basket. Dwight howard is also constantly battling foul trouble, so having a backup center takes some pressure off of him and allows him to be a little more aggressive.

I agree that this isn’t a make or break game, but if the lakers lose then all these idiots will be posting on here tomorrow about how kobe sucks or the lakers were never built to win, or some bs like that.

OH they got a stick alright. One in the anus . 71 points allowed in THE FIRST HALF! THEY have THE WORST defense know to mankind and Euro-trash ball. Lakers should take their act to Europe they’d fit right in with that system.
Bring back Mike Brown for Coach. At least the Lakers played Some Defense with him on the bench.
Somewhere Jerry Buss is rolling in his grave, poor man.